This Day We Remember, We Honor, We Thank The Men And Women Of The United States Armed Forces
The color guard for the Memorial Day Commemoration; (L to R) Corporal Frank Veno USMC, Sergeant First Class Buyile Rani CT Army National Guard, Corporal John D’Eilus U.S. Army, Lieutenant Commander Phil Delgado U.S. Navy (Retired), Corporal Albert Strazza USMC, Corporal Patrick Adams USMC flank the commemorative wreath before the World War One Doughboy statue at Westport’s Veterans Green.
Photos and Story By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
Father Cyrus Bartolome, Pastor, Church of the Assumption, Westport, and Chaplain of the Westport Fire Department offers the Benediction at the Memorial Day ceremony on Monday.
After the bands, the floats, the marchers and all that the Westport Memorial Day Parade provides have left, a number of spectators fill Westport’s Veterans Green for the most important event of this day; the celebration and the recognition of the brave men and women of the Armed Forces of The United States of America who have fought for our country.
From left to right, Staples grad Nick Rossi, now attending college returned to sing his amazing rendition of the National Anthem which he as done for the last several years. Grand Marshal, the Honorable Judge Edward Karazin, Jr. salutes the flag during Rossi’s National Anthem performance as does Brigadier General (retired) Brien Horan.
Photos and Story By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
Following Father Bartolome’s Benediction, remarks were then delivered by Brigadier General (retired) Brien Horan. Judge Karazin, Jr. then gave his address. This year’s Grand Marshal, Edward Karazin Jr. has had a stellar career filled with accomplishments beginning with his entering the U.S. Army in 1965 where became a civil affairs officer serving in Viet Nam. His multiple awards included the Bronze Star and the Vietnamese Gallantry Cross.
Upon his return home and discharge from service, a Boston College graduate, Karazin earned his law degree from Fordham University. He then began working in a private law practice then served as an assistant state prosecutor before being named to the Superior Court bench in 1990. He performed pro bono work on behalf of other veterans and in 2021, he was inducted into the Connecticut Veterans Hall of Fame. Judge Karazin leads the Veterans Day ceremony each year at the Stamford Superior Courthouse and continues to support veteran events
His service to the community was extensive is well, volunteering o coach Little League and serving on their board as well as the board of Pop Warner football and is a lector at the Church of the Assumption in Westport. He taught legal writing and family law as an adjunct professor at Western Connecticut State University in Danbury.
Judge Karazin receives assistance with his sash before taking his place on stage to await his introduction and then began his remarks. Attending the event, at right one of America’s most celebrated living nurses, Doris Troth Lippman holds the medal given to her at her induction into the CT Veterans Hall of Fame. LIppman served as a US Army Captain and wound nurse during the Viet Nam war.
Photos and Story By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
The crowd give a round of applause for Judge Karazin upon the conclusion of his remarks.
Judge Karazin proudly stands with Father Bartolome. At right, Westport Police Deputy Police Chief Ryan Paulsson observes the ceremony along with newly named Chief Of Police David Farrell.
There are always a number of veterans in attendance, however there are fewer and fewer each year. It is singular objective of ceremonies like ours to remind us all of the service and sacrifice of our military veterans. It is important for us to recognize and honor that service as the number of those we honor continues to cecline each year.
As of early 2024, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs estimated that approximately 66,000 American World War II veterans were still alive. This represents a significant decline from the 16.4 million Americans who served during the war. The surviving veterans are now largely in their 90s or older. The number of living WWII veterans is projected to continue to decline rapidly, with projections suggesting that the last ones will pass away in the early 2040s.
Approximately 0.5% or fewer of the 16.4 million Americans who served in World War II are still alive, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. This means that less than 70,000 veterans are still alive today. Approximately 5% of all living veterans in the United States are Korean War Era veterans. This translates to roughly 767,000 veterans who served during the Korean War (1950-1953) still alive. The median age of Korean War Era veterans is 88, according to the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Photos and Story By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
Approximately 30% of living US veterans served during the Vietnam War era (1950-1973), with around 5.6 million veterans alive today. A more precise estimate suggests there are about 5.4 million Vietnam War veterans alive today. More than 500 Vietnam veterans die every day; many reside in hospices and long-term care facilities.
Since 2001, between 1.9 and 3 million service members have served in post-9/11 war operations in Afghanistan and Iraq, and over half of them have deployed more than once. (Brown University: https://watson.brown.edu/costsofwar/costs/human/veterans) Many times that number of Americans have borne the costs of war as spouses, parents, children, and friends cope with their loved ones’ absence, mourn their deaths, or greet the changed person who often returns.
In comparison to the civilian population, Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans are facing elevated rates of suicide and mental illness, drug and alcohol dependence, car crashes, and homelessness. They and their families also experience higher rates of divorce as well as homicide, child abuse, and child neglect by both parents left behind and returning veterans.
The Staples High School Band, under the direction of Kevin Mazzarella (Director of Bands, below) and Caitlin Serpliss (asst. band director) proudly marched in the Westport Memorial Day parade.
Photos and Story By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
This Band of over 60 musicians diligently prepared “Logan’s Order” and practiced our marching for this important event. Taps trumpeters were Samuel Abramowitz (above, left) and Gargi Karve. Following “Logan’s Order” two members of the Westport Police Department fired a 3 volley salute.
The color guard, representing the Army, Navy, Marines and National guard stand in silent, reverent attention for the entire presentation.
At the conclusion of the service, the color guard retire the colors. At left are Staples High School Band’s Caitlin Serpliss (asst. band director) and Kevin Mazzarella (Director of Bands).
The 118th Airlift Squadron (118 AS) is a unit of the Connecticut Air National Guard 103d Airlift Wing stationed at Bradley Air National Guard Base, Windsor Locks, Connecticut, performed flyovers of their C-130 Hercules for several Memorial Day Parades including Westport and Norwalk. The C-130H, a very familiar sight to the veterans in the audience, is a primary tactical airlifter, supporting the transport of personnel and cargo to various locations. It can perform airdrops of troops and equipment into hostile areas, even from rough runways. It was an imposing sight as it flew overhead.
Photos and Story By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com